Manteca officer Brian Holland escorts parolee-at-large Kenneth Ray Stevens, 52, to his waiting patrol car following an hour-long manhunt that began shortly before 5 p.m. near Moffat Boulevard and L...

GLENN KAHL/The Bulletin

It was a running tackle that took a parolee-at-large down off his bicycle about 6 p.m. Thursday on a front lawn in the 100 block of North Lincoln Avenue.

Manteca Police officer Mike Kelly spotted Kenneth Ray Stevens, 52, hunkered down in the bushes of a home as the man popped out and attempted to ride away on his bicycle. Kelly pulled his patrol car next to curb and began a short foot pursuit that ended with the suspect being taken down on the lawn.

Other officers that had been conducting a perimeter search around a trailer park on the south end of Lincoln Avenue responded to assist Kelly with the arrest of the man who reportedly had two felony warrants out for his arrest for what was described as serious drug charges.

Patrol officer Brian Holland had first spotted Stevens near South Main Street and Moffat Boulevard.

“When he saw me he went onto the bike path,” Holland said. “I followed him and activated my lights and siren but he continued to flee.”

Holland said the fugitive rode into the Shady Grove Trailer Park on Moffat where he circled around on his bicycle coming out on Sherman Avenue on the east side of the park. The officer chased him on foot losing him on Lincoln Avenue.

Sgt. Mike Aguilar set up a perimeter of officers around the trailer park and a two block area in search of the suspect. With citizens’ help they learned Stevens had been hiding in a back yard in the 200 block of South Lincoln Avenue and that he had slipped out of the perimeter and headed toward Yosemite Avenue – hiding in a front yard in the 100 block of North Lincoln, just north of Yosemite Avenue.

A bevy of police cars and police motorcycle officer David Bright responded to the scene. The suspect was handcuffed in the mid-block area of Lincoln and transported to the police station for booking before being taken to the San Joaquin County Jail in French Camp where he is being held without bail.

“Chief Obligacion wants us to be tough on crime and send a message to the bad guys,” Holland said. “Except for the ones who get away – we will get them later,” he added.